Today’s prompt was simple enough:
Hit 5,000 steps today and drop your achievement here — we’re cheering you on!
Since I’m in Highlands, North Carolina, this one felt like a good challenge to take seriously.
I started early, which is not usually my preferred vacation strategy. But my stepmother lives in Highlands Falls Country Club, and one of my favorite walks there has to happen before the golfers hit the course.
So this morning, I walked up her driveway, past the tarnished bronze statue of a young girl in a classic golf stance. That statue has always reminded me of Lizzi, even though Lizzi never played golf. Or maybe it’s my niece, Raegan. Since Lizzi and Raegan are best friends, and they’re the only two granddaughters, I’ve decided the statue is either Rae-Liz or Liz-Rae.
Either way works.
From there, I turned left onto Falls Drive and walked under the canopy of trees toward the bridge. The cool morning air was crisp and refreshing, which is especially wonderful after spending the year in sticky, humid Jacksonville. Mountain air in the morning feels like a gift.
Across the bridge, there’s a cart path across from a series of pickleball courts. I’m learning to appreciate pickleball, but it’s still not my thing, so turning left onto the path was an easy decision.
That path winds toward the 14th fairway, which is one of my favorite places on earth. It’s also the fairway we can see from the back porch, with the Cullasaja River curling along the edge of the grass and the mountains rising beyond it. The river crosses that hole three times — once on the drive, once on the second shot for most people, and once on the approach to the green. On my walk, I only crossed it once, on the bridge, but the river stayed to my left as I made my way along the path.
I walked with the green and sand traps to my left and the trees to my right, past the cart bridges that lead back to the fairway, past the 14th green and toward the tee boxes for the 15th hole.
The 14th is one of the longest holes on the course.
The 15th is the shortest.
But the 15th is the reason to take the walk.
It looks like you’re teeing off into a waterfall, because in a way, you are. The green sits in front of rock, trees and falling water, with the flag planted in a little pocket of impossible beauty. The waterfall drops directly behind the green, close enough that its roar becomes part of the hole itself.
And for me, it’s not just the scenery. I also remember Lizzi standing on the 15th green when she was almost 14, holding the flagstick with the waterfall behind her. That was 14 years ago now, which doesn’t seem possible. But places like this hold memories that way. You walk back into them, and suddenly the years don’t feel quite as far away.
It’s less than 100 yards, but it’s still one of the most intimidating little golf holes I’ve ever seen. Hit left, and you’re in the river. Hit long, and you’re in the waterfall. Hit right, and you’re probably bouncing off rocks and into the river anyway. The only good options are straight and on the green, or short enough to chip on.
But when you’re walking instead of playing, none of that matters.
You just get to stand there in the middle of God’s creation, with the water roaring and the memories rising, and take it in.
Instead of turning around and walking back the same way, I looped around to the right and came back down along the 16th tee box and fairway. It isn’t quite as dramatic as 15, but the Cullasaja makes one more appearance as it crosses in front of the green. Even the less spectacular parts of that walk are beautiful.
I usually prefer that walk in the evening. From the 14th fairway, you can look back toward the house as the last color fades from the sky, with the mountain rising behind it and the lights beginning to glow through the trees. There’s something about that view that makes the whole place feel tucked away from the rest of the world.
But this time, evening wasn’t the right choice. Tonight we’re going to dinner with Daryl’s family at On the Verandah, which has become a cherished Smith family tradition. So I took the walk in the morning instead.
And honestly, morning gave me its own kind of gift.
My folks have had a place there since 2000, and I know that has probably made me take it for granted at times. I used to live just a couple of hours away. Now it’s closer to eight, so I only get up there once or twice a year.
That distance makes the walk feel different.
More precious. More peaceful. More refreshing.
That probably got me about halfway to today’s goal.
The rest should come later today in downtown Highlands with Daryl, which is the easiest kind of walking to do. We’re planning to wander through some of our favorite places — The Dry Sink, Silver Eagle, the Tea & Spice Exchange and The Christmas Tree — doing more window-shopping than serious shopping, which is probably the safest kind of shopping for the wallet.
Five thousand steps isn’t a marathon. It isn’t a heroic achievement. It’s not the sort of thing anyone is going to put on a plaque.
But sometimes small goals are exactly what we need. They get us moving. They get us outside. They give us a reason to pay attention to the world around us.
Today, those steps started in mountain quiet, should continue through downtown memories and will end with family tradition.
That’s a pretty good return on a simple walk.
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Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.
You had me at golf
What a great response to the prompt. I really enjoyed reading it. I would probably have enjoyed that walk too although golf has never been my thing. Enjoy the rest of your day.